Digital legacy planning for LinkedIn

Welcome to Digital Legacy Planning by Zenplans. In each edition, we’ll explore a popular digital asset, examining what happens to it after death and how proactive planning can help your clients secure their digital legacy. Let’s dive into this month’s focus: LinkedIn.

Why Should Clients Plan Ahead for LinkedIn?

LinkedIn accounts capture years of professional achievements and connections. Without planning, accounts may linger indefinitely, leading to awkward notifications or unauthorised data exposure. By choosing to memorialise or delete their account, clients can protect their information, prevent unwanted interactions, and shape their digital legacy as part of their estate planning.

What Happens to a LinkedIn Account When a Client Dies?

LinkedIn offers two options for managing the accounts of deceased members:

1. Memorialisation: The profile becomes a locked tribute, preserving posts, articles, recommendations, and more as part of the member's legacy.
2. Closure: Authorised representatives can request full account deletion. Once approved, LinkedIn permanently removes the data within 30 days.

Currently, LinkedIn does not allow members to assign a legacy contact to manage their account. Family members or executors also cannot gain direct access to a deceased member's account content.

About Memorialised Accounts

Once memorialised, LinkedIn makes several changes to preserve the account’s legacy:

• Profile Lock: An “In Remembrance” badge appears on the profile, and the account is locked, ensuring that no one can log in or alter it.
• Activity and Legacy: Posts, articles, recommendations, and endorsements remain visible as a lasting part of the deceased’s professional story.
• Network and Engagement Adjustments: Notifications, including work anniversaries and birthdays, are turned off, and messaging and connection requests are disabled.

How can you help your clients plan ahead?

1. Explain the Options: Make sure clients understand the options LinkedIn provides and why proactive planning matters.
2. Document Preferences: Encourage clients to specify whether they would like their LinkedIn profile memorialised or deleted.
3. Organise Key Information: Help clients gather the necessary information that their executor or attorney will need in order to submit a request for the account to be closed or memorialised.

If digital estate planning isn’t part of your client conversations yet, now is the perfect time to start. Connect with us to see how Zenplans can simplify this process for you, enhance your proposition and ensure a secure, thoughtful digital legacy for your clients.

Helpful links:

Memorialise or close the account of a deceased member

Request to close a deceased member's LinkedIn profile

Request to memorialise a deceased member’s LinkedIn profile